1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cable connector for an endoscope apparatus and a method of producing an endoscope apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cable connector for an endoscope apparatus, in which important elements of a circuit board can be safely moved for penetration in an elongated tube of the endoscope apparatus in an assembling operation, and a method of producing an endoscope apparatus.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
An endoscope apparatus includes an elongated tube, a tip device and a circuit device or electrical device. The elongated tube is entered in a body cavity of a patient's body to be diagnosed. The tip device is disposed at a distal end of the elongated tube. The circuit device is contained in the tip device or disposed behind the tip device. Examples of the circuit device are a camera module, imaging unit or ultrasonic transducer. A cable structure is connected with the circuit device and extends in an axial direction. The cable structure includes numerous signal lines, which are connected to a control unit disposed in the outside of the body. The circuit device is controlled and driven by the control unit.
A flexible tube device is included in the elongated tube, and disposed to extend from the tip device. The tip device is apart originally separate from the flexible tube device. In the assembling operation, the circuit device is contained the tip device at first. The cable structure from the circuit device is passed through the flexible tube device. Then the flexible tube device is connected with the tip device.
The cable structure passes through the flexible tube device on the elongated tube. It is extremely difficult to connect each one of the signal lines in the cable structure to the control unit after passage through the flexible tube device. If the signal lines are connected with a mechanical part with a larger width than an inner diameter of the elongated tube, maintenance of the endoscope apparatus is very hard. This is because the cable structure can be disassembled from the flexible tube device only after cutting the signal lines from the mechanical part.
A cable connector or board connector at an end of the cable structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2005/143,658 (corresponding to JP-A 2005-192640) and U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2005/143,659 (corresponding to JP-A 2005-192639). The cable connector is in a plate shape and includes a land pattern, a terminal pattern and a wiring pattern. Signal lines of the cable structure are electrically coupled to the land pattern. The terminal pattern has plural terminals, and is couplable with a mating connector connectively. The wiring pattern electrically couples the land pattern to the terminals. The cable structure, in combination with the cable connector, is penetrated through the housing of the elongated tube by advancing the cable connector, to facilitate connective coupling and decoupling after the penetration of the cable structure.
However, in the documents, there is no suggestion of coping with collision of the cable connector with an inner surface of the elongated tube in the course of the penetration. A problem arises in possibility of occurrence of damages of the terminal pattern and the land pattern as important elements in the course of penetration in the elongated tube.